Personal Touch
by queenofinsane
Summary: This year Hinata wanted to give Naruto a gift with a bit of a personal touch. Written for Naruto's birthday.


**It's October tenth. You know what that means? HAPPY BIRTHDAY NARUTO!!! *pulls out noise makers and puts on birthday hat as balloons and confetti fall from the ceiling.* Anyway, I decided to write a fic for Naruto's B-day. Naruhina of course, because that pairing is uber kawaii. **

**I don't own Naruto, any characters in it, or anywhere in it, or any**_**thing**_** in it. It all belongs to Kishimoto-sensei! Which, if I think about it, is probably a good thing. Cause if I did own Naruto I would be making some major changes that would probably tick a bunch of fans off. **

**Enjoy please. **

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**Personal Touch**

It was coming; quicker than Hinata had ever anticipated. She was usually prepared but this year she had been so busy with training, missions, and the occasional family meeting. She felt so ashamed of herself. How could she have neglected this? She should have made time to get what she needed, but the fact of the matter was that Naruto's birthday was coming, and she didn't have a gift.

Not that she had ever given him a gift in person. He'd never even had a party. In fact, very few people knew when his birthday was. She'd known since their academy days, and every year she had gotten him well thought out present and left it on the door step of his apartment. She was far too shy to hand it to him.

This year however, Rock Lee had discovered Naruto's birthday was coming up. Upon hearing the news from Naruto that he had never had a birthday party; Lee had immediately insisted that everyone should throw Naruto a party. All week the boy in green spandex had taken the liberty of planning Naruto's party and inviting everyone he could to it (he'd wanted to go all out, but Ten Ten and Neji manage to get him to do something a little more conservative and less of a strain on his wallet).

Now Hinata sat staring at the invitation that Lee had shoved into her hand feeling very worried. What if she wasn't able to get Naruto a present? Would he be angry at her? Would he feel like she didn't care it was his birthday? So many scenarios ran through Hinata's head, but none were very favorable.

She couldn't get him ramen that was too obvious. Almost everyone would be getting him ramen. She had to come up with something more original. Besides she had given him home made ramen the first year she started giving him gifts, and she never liked to repeat a gift twice. Hinata had been out that morning looking all day for a gift, but had found nothing she thought was suitable for the boy.

Then an idea came to her. It was possible that she could draw him something. It was talent Hinata rarely displayed. She was always afraid of harsh criticism, or that no one would like it at all. Even though Kiba and Shino had told her a million times that her drawings were amazing (Kiba more than Shino who told her in his own words, few as they were), and despite the fact that even Neji had once told her that her art had an air of elegance to it, she preferred not to let people see it. For some reason it was rather embarrassing. This year however, she wanted to give Naruto something… with a personal touch. Taking out a sketch pad and pencil she stared at the blank piece of paper. The only question now was what should she draw?

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Hinata arrive the next day at the party very nervous and very sleep deprived. She had spent all night working on her picture and getting it down to the last detail. She had wanted it to be perfect. She finished at two in the morning before deeming it satisfactory, and then got four hours of sleep before waking up at six to go out and buy a frame for it and wrap it. The party started at ten at Ichiraku Ramen, and the owner had set up extra tables outside the stand just for his favorite customer.

Hinata sat at a table with Kiba and Shino as Naruto chatted away to Sakura and Lee at another. Her eyes felt like they weighed a ton and she was drained of all energy. Her gift sat in her lap, for some reason her she was too nervous to put it on the table with the rest of the gifts.

"Hey Hinata are you okay?" Kiba asked worriedly, "You don't look so good." Akamaru sniffed her and whined as though agreeing with his master.

"I-I'm fine Kiba-kun," Hinata stuttered, "j-just, a little t-tired."

"If you're sure," Kiba shrugged, and then left to go talk to the birthday boy.

The entire party Hinata refrained from setting her gift on the table or talking to Naruto. Her shyness was getting the better of her. She began to fear he wouldn't like it. If he hated it she might just die of embarrassment.

When the time for Naruto to open his gifts had come Hinata still hadn't put her gift with the rest. Instead she sat at her table the entire time, and when the time for Naruto to open his gifts had come she sat in the back and merely watched. Sakura, Ino, Choji, Ten Ten, Neji, Kiba, and Shino had all gotten him passes for a free bowl of ramen from Ichiraku, one of which Naruto promptly used. Sai got him nothing, since he was unfamiliar with the custom of these so called, "birthdays." Lee had gotten him orange leg warmers to go with the green spandex suit Gai-sensei had gotten him. Kakashi had gotten him the entire Ichi-Icha series, which Naruto threw at his former teacher's head and called him a pervert, and Shikamaru had gotten him a card claiming that gifts were 'too troublesome.' Naruto called him a cheapskate.

Shortly after gifts there was cake and then the guest began to disperse giving their last birthday wishes to Naruto. Hinata stood behind her table frozen. She wanted to give him her gift, but she was too terrified. She had to do it, and yet she couldn't. As Naruto began to walk back to his apartment she stood there feeling ashamed of herself. Her nerve had failed her again. She had failed herself.

"You know," a calm voice behind her said making her jump, "if you want to give it to him you should do it now."

Hinata whirled around to find Neji standing behind her. "W-what?" she spluttered.

"I said: if you want to give it to him, you should do it now"

"H-how d-did you…" she began but he cut her off.

"Are you going to give your gift to him or not? Because if you aren't then you should just go home."

Neji's words sounded harsh, but they did the trick. He was right. "Arigato… Neji-nii-san" she bowed then followed Naruto.

"N-Naruto-kun wait!" she called to the boy that was in front of her. Naruto stopped and turned around waiting for her to catch up. Once she did she became more nervous than ever. Standing so close to Naruto always made her legs turn to jelly.

"Hey Hinata-chan," he grinned. "Thanks for coming to my party today, I'm glad you did."

Hinata turned beet red. He had noticed her there? He was glad she came? "Ano… y-your welcome Naruto-kun."

"So what's up?" he asked putting his hands behind his head.

"Ano… I-I w-wanted to g-give you s-something," she blushed even harder if that was possible, silently cursing her ridiculous stuttering.

"Really? What is it?" his eyes lit up at the prospect of another gift. Even as a teenager he acted like small children do on _their_ birthdays. It encouraged Hinata to give him the gift. Though she couldn't with hold it from him now that he knew about it.

Summoning all her courage Hinata thrust the gift into Naruto's vision with her head bent and eyes closed, "th-this is f-for you. Happy Birthday Naruto-kun."

He took the gift and looked at it, "can I open it now?" he asked excitedly. She nodded. Ripping off the paper Naruto looked at Hinata's gift. His jaw dropped in amazement. This was… just… wow. "Hinata… did you draw this?" She nodded again.

"Wow…" he murmured looking at the drawing. It was a picture of him. He was standing on top of the Hokage Mountain, on the head of the Fourth, wearing the Hokage hat and a large billowing coat that flared out behind him. The picture was so realistic, down to the very last detail. She had gotten everything from the whisker marks on his face to the cracks in the head of the fourth Hokage. It was absolutely amazing.

"I-I c-could always d-draw something else," she stammered twiddling her fingers. "I-I mean th-that is… if you d-don't like it…."

"Are you kidding? I love it!"

"R-really?" she looked up to see he was smiling at her.

"Yeah."

"I-I'm glad you do."

There was a silence between the two for a while, but it wasn't an awkward silence. It was one of those comforting silences between friends.

"You know Hinata-chan…" he said after a minute, "this was the first birthday party I ever had?" his voice was kind of sad.

"R-really?" She acted surprised. She didn't want him to know she knew. Perhaps he would think it was weird that she knew so much about him.

"Yeah… I never got any presents… except from you."

"What?!" she cried. He had known? She was terrified, she could hardly breathe. Was he angry at her?

"It took me a couple years to figure it out, but one year I came home a little earlier than usual. I saw you leaving your gift on the doorstep. Then I realized you had been giving me those presents all these years. No one else besides Iruka-sensei ever cared. It had always made me happy that someone knew about my birthday."

"I-it did?"

"Yeah, thanks for everything Hinata-chan."

"You're welcome," she blushed profusely.

"Listen… Hinata-chan. I got a bunch of free ramen passes today. Do you want to get some ramen with me later?"

"R-really?"

"Yeah… meet me tonight at Ichiraku ramen at eight. My treat."

"H-hai," she spluttered.

He grinned, "It's a date then!"

Hinata watched Naruto leave when it hit her. She had a date. With Naruto. Tonight. She had a date with Naruto tonight. This information went over like a ton of bricks, and (of course) Hinata promptly passed out.

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**Whew it's done. This probably isn't my best work, but I wanted to post something for Naruto's birthday. Don't worry guys Hinata'll wake up in time for her date. This was hard for me to write… so don't be asking for any sequels. Maybe I'll do a fic for Hinata's birthday. If I get reviews *hint hint.* But only if you want it. Alright now that my arms are about to fall off I think I'll go get some rest. **

**Review please. Constructive Criticism is craved. **


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